Harsh Thakor
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In this post I rank in order of merit the captains who did the most to either ressurect the glory of their team or build or consolidate a world class or champion team.These skippers knit and moulded a bunch of talented individuals into a cohesive force capable of conquering any opposing team on any soil.More than statistics I assesed the level at which the skipper motivated his team like a military commander resurrecting his battalion from the grave to win a historic battle.This list does not ***** the merits of a skipper but how much his captaincy affected the state of his team's performances or the impact ot had on them.
1.Ian Chappell
Though he did not lead in the sub-continent he could motivate his teammates more than any other skipper reminding you of a great political leader.On the field he resembled a military commander.He was also an outstanding tactician making moves on the field like an Olympic making the moves of a genius.In England in 1972 he literally ressurected the spirit of Australian cricket ,laying the base for it to become the best team in the world.Before the emergence of West Indies as a superpower till the late 1970's Australia continued to burn the mantle of the world champion team.A 5-1 win against Clive Lloyd's West Indies team in 1975-76 and a 4-1 home Ashes triumph proved Australia's dominance in world cricket.Ian brought out the best in Dennis Lillee and nurture brother Greg in inheriting the great empire he created.Ian was the best batsmen of his era in a crisis and he led by example.
2.Clive Lloyd
Not as astute a tactician as Ian Chappell but still an equivalent of a great emperor to the game of cricket.Ressurected West Indies Cricket from the grave after a 5-1 drubbing in Australia in 1975-76 to become arguably the best team ever.Lloyd's leadership set the base for West Indies for an era to created of the sun never setting in the West Indian empire .For 15 years it remained the undisputed champion even beating India and Pakistan on their home soil.Like Ian Chappell Lloyd too could weather a tsorm better than any teammat and like in Kolkata in 1983-94 single-handedly turned his team's cause into a famous victory.Lloyd played a great role in motivating Sir Viv Richards and for binding and motivating the great pace attack.
3.Imran Khan
Could lift his team like cornered tigers in an ambush.Shaped the destiny of his team;s fortunes like no cricketer of his era leading them to their 1st series wins in India and England and to come within the brink of winning the unofficial world championship test title in West Indies in 1988.No Asian skipper has had such a positive influence on his team like Imran whose agression reminded you of a tiger prowling at it's prey.Pakistan won the coveted world cup title literally rising like a phoenix from the Ashes.
4.Alan Border
Although Australia became the set world champion from 1995 under Mark Taylor and later retained their spot under Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting I think the chief architect for ressurecting the glory of Australian cricket was Alan Border.He led his team to win the 1987 Reliance world cup inspite of it's inexperience and to regain the Ashes in England after 13 years.The 4-1 drubbing his team gave England in the 1989 Ashes set the tone for Australia to rise up to the status of a superpower in test cricket.From a mediocre team in 1984 after the retirement of Lillee,Greg Chappell and Rodney Marsh Border took Australai within touching distance of winning the test world championship tiltle in 1992-93.In 1995 the fruits of Border's labour pulled of in the West Indies,although under the leadership of Mark Taylor.
5.Frank Worrell
Lifted the dignity of the Afro-American race like few sportsman let alone cricketers ever did taking cricketing art and sportsmanship to it's highest zenith.Re-organized West Indian cricket to became a major force in the 1960's after the famous 1960-61 series in Australia which his team all but won but morally won a victory for the game.Arguably his 1963 team could have even beaten Clive Lloyd's 1984 champion team.
6.Mushtaq Muhammad
In 1976-77 under Mushtaq's leadership at Sydney Pakistan won it's first ever test on Australian soil and drew a rubber against the best team in the world.Mushtaq united a bunch of talented individuals to come within touching distance of West Indies and Australia,the 2 best sides in the world of that era.In 1977 Pakistan almost defeated or drew a series with West Indies on West Indian soil against a team that had demolished England by a 3-0 margin the previous summer.Under Mushtaq the likes of Zaheer Abbas,Majid Khan ,Asif Iqbal,Wasim Raja and Imran Khan could bind into a world-beating unit.Sadly Mushtaq and his colleagues playing for Packer cost them a series win in England in 1978.
7..Graeme Smith
Although never led the Proteas to wining a world cup title took South Africa to the top of the table amongst test team s from 2012 to 2015.Australia beat England in 2012 in England and Australia on Australian soil to prove themselves as the world test champion.Smith displayed great tactical skill in maneuvering his bowlers.For 9 yaers from 2006 South Africa did not lose a series awy which was a tribute to the foundations Smith had created.Graeme literally repaired a dent in South African cricket and like Australia did not lose series in Sharjah and India.
8.Steve Waugh
Retained an empire but displayed great tenacity to fortify it taking Australia to an aura of invincibility never attained before winning 16 tests in a row.Sadly lost in India twice.
9.Richie Benaud
Ushered a golden era for Australian cricket displaying tactical genius all round the world.Won some famous Ashes series wins as weal as victories on the sub-continent.
10.Ricky Ponting
Retained an empire but displayed great tenacity to fortify it taking Australia to an aura of invincibility never attained before winning 16 tests in a row.Sadly lost in India twice.
11.Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Although India had some heavy losses it was Dhoni who could motivate his team to turn the tables like no skipper before.India gained some of it's greatest titles in the shorter version of the game than ever before.Dhoni could retrieve a sinking ship like no Indian skipper ever and make the equivalent of dramatic reversal in the plot of an epic .India for a while reached the no 1 spot as a test team in 2011 with great home wins against Australia.Sadly heavy losses in series in England and Australia marred his reputation in 2011 and 2015 where his tactical soundness was questioned by critics.Neverthless he also led India to a series win in West Indies in 2011.
12.Mark Taylor
Tactically an absolute champion .Under Taylor Australia won the mantle of test world champions by becoming the 1st team to win a series on Carribean soil since 1973.
13.Saurav Ganguly
Resurrected the spirit of Indian cricket to enable it to win it's 1st series on Pakistan soil in 2004 and become the 1st team not to lose a series in Australia since South Africa in 1994. Under Ganguly's leadership India looked a more dynamic force overseas than ever before revealing a newly kindled killer-instinct.India also won some great one day victories under Saurav in the Sahara Cup and in England in 2002.
14.Mike Brearley
Although oppostion was relatively weak still was a master in changing the fortunes of game.The 1991 Ashes is a perfect example of how leadership can be instrumental in ressurecting a team from the grave and create the equivalent of dramatic turnabout in a Hollywood movie .But for Brearley Botham would not have been able to produce his magical performances in 1981.I have never sen a great cricketer been ressurected as much as Botham under Brearley.
15.Misbah Ul Haq
Although leading in an era when the standard of test cricket has declined considerably his taking Pakistan to the top of the pedestal in test cricket was a remarkable achievement.Pakistan were dead and buried at various junctures but Misbah showed great mental resilience by literally pulling his side out of the woods.Few skippers have displayed more chracter in a crisis or to boost the morale of his team.In Sharjah Pakistan beat every team incluiding Australia and South Africa.Drawing 2-2- in England last summer Pakistan surpassed India and Australia.
16.Micheal Vaughan
For a time England were the best team in the world when beating Australia in a home Ashe sin 2005 and beating the West Indies on their soil by a 4-0 margin.Vaughan literally rekindled the spirit of English cricket with win sin various territories.Sadly he lost in Pakistan and faced a dramatic reversal in Australia in 206-07.
17.Andrew Strauss
In 2010-11 led England to win their 1st Ashes series down under for 24 years and become the world champion test team in 2011 after comprehenisvely beating India.
18.Nawab or Tiger Pataudi
Mere statistics do him injustice but no Indian skipper was tactically sounder or could turn the complexion of game with such masterly moves.Pataudi's leadership for a 2-0 series win against England in 1962 at home and bringing India from a 0-2 down position to square the series at 2-2 before the 5th test at Mumbai was a remarkable achievement.
19.Ajit Wadekar
Enabled India to burn the torch or shimmer the light of glory as never before or after with series win son Carribean and English soil.Started a golden era in Indian cricket.
20.Viv Richards
Inherited an empire but did his utmost to hold the fort.In 1988 the team he led was on par with Clive Lloyd's 1984 team.
1.Ian Chappell
Though he did not lead in the sub-continent he could motivate his teammates more than any other skipper reminding you of a great political leader.On the field he resembled a military commander.He was also an outstanding tactician making moves on the field like an Olympic making the moves of a genius.In England in 1972 he literally ressurected the spirit of Australian cricket ,laying the base for it to become the best team in the world.Before the emergence of West Indies as a superpower till the late 1970's Australia continued to burn the mantle of the world champion team.A 5-1 win against Clive Lloyd's West Indies team in 1975-76 and a 4-1 home Ashes triumph proved Australia's dominance in world cricket.Ian brought out the best in Dennis Lillee and nurture brother Greg in inheriting the great empire he created.Ian was the best batsmen of his era in a crisis and he led by example.
2.Clive Lloyd
Not as astute a tactician as Ian Chappell but still an equivalent of a great emperor to the game of cricket.Ressurected West Indies Cricket from the grave after a 5-1 drubbing in Australia in 1975-76 to become arguably the best team ever.Lloyd's leadership set the base for West Indies for an era to created of the sun never setting in the West Indian empire .For 15 years it remained the undisputed champion even beating India and Pakistan on their home soil.Like Ian Chappell Lloyd too could weather a tsorm better than any teammat and like in Kolkata in 1983-94 single-handedly turned his team's cause into a famous victory.Lloyd played a great role in motivating Sir Viv Richards and for binding and motivating the great pace attack.
3.Imran Khan
Could lift his team like cornered tigers in an ambush.Shaped the destiny of his team;s fortunes like no cricketer of his era leading them to their 1st series wins in India and England and to come within the brink of winning the unofficial world championship test title in West Indies in 1988.No Asian skipper has had such a positive influence on his team like Imran whose agression reminded you of a tiger prowling at it's prey.Pakistan won the coveted world cup title literally rising like a phoenix from the Ashes.
4.Alan Border
Although Australia became the set world champion from 1995 under Mark Taylor and later retained their spot under Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting I think the chief architect for ressurecting the glory of Australian cricket was Alan Border.He led his team to win the 1987 Reliance world cup inspite of it's inexperience and to regain the Ashes in England after 13 years.The 4-1 drubbing his team gave England in the 1989 Ashes set the tone for Australia to rise up to the status of a superpower in test cricket.From a mediocre team in 1984 after the retirement of Lillee,Greg Chappell and Rodney Marsh Border took Australai within touching distance of winning the test world championship tiltle in 1992-93.In 1995 the fruits of Border's labour pulled of in the West Indies,although under the leadership of Mark Taylor.
5.Frank Worrell
Lifted the dignity of the Afro-American race like few sportsman let alone cricketers ever did taking cricketing art and sportsmanship to it's highest zenith.Re-organized West Indian cricket to became a major force in the 1960's after the famous 1960-61 series in Australia which his team all but won but morally won a victory for the game.Arguably his 1963 team could have even beaten Clive Lloyd's 1984 champion team.
6.Mushtaq Muhammad
In 1976-77 under Mushtaq's leadership at Sydney Pakistan won it's first ever test on Australian soil and drew a rubber against the best team in the world.Mushtaq united a bunch of talented individuals to come within touching distance of West Indies and Australia,the 2 best sides in the world of that era.In 1977 Pakistan almost defeated or drew a series with West Indies on West Indian soil against a team that had demolished England by a 3-0 margin the previous summer.Under Mushtaq the likes of Zaheer Abbas,Majid Khan ,Asif Iqbal,Wasim Raja and Imran Khan could bind into a world-beating unit.Sadly Mushtaq and his colleagues playing for Packer cost them a series win in England in 1978.
7..Graeme Smith
Although never led the Proteas to wining a world cup title took South Africa to the top of the table amongst test team s from 2012 to 2015.Australia beat England in 2012 in England and Australia on Australian soil to prove themselves as the world test champion.Smith displayed great tactical skill in maneuvering his bowlers.For 9 yaers from 2006 South Africa did not lose a series awy which was a tribute to the foundations Smith had created.Graeme literally repaired a dent in South African cricket and like Australia did not lose series in Sharjah and India.
8.Steve Waugh
Retained an empire but displayed great tenacity to fortify it taking Australia to an aura of invincibility never attained before winning 16 tests in a row.Sadly lost in India twice.
9.Richie Benaud
Ushered a golden era for Australian cricket displaying tactical genius all round the world.Won some famous Ashes series wins as weal as victories on the sub-continent.
10.Ricky Ponting
Retained an empire but displayed great tenacity to fortify it taking Australia to an aura of invincibility never attained before winning 16 tests in a row.Sadly lost in India twice.
11.Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Although India had some heavy losses it was Dhoni who could motivate his team to turn the tables like no skipper before.India gained some of it's greatest titles in the shorter version of the game than ever before.Dhoni could retrieve a sinking ship like no Indian skipper ever and make the equivalent of dramatic reversal in the plot of an epic .India for a while reached the no 1 spot as a test team in 2011 with great home wins against Australia.Sadly heavy losses in series in England and Australia marred his reputation in 2011 and 2015 where his tactical soundness was questioned by critics.Neverthless he also led India to a series win in West Indies in 2011.
12.Mark Taylor
Tactically an absolute champion .Under Taylor Australia won the mantle of test world champions by becoming the 1st team to win a series on Carribean soil since 1973.
13.Saurav Ganguly
Resurrected the spirit of Indian cricket to enable it to win it's 1st series on Pakistan soil in 2004 and become the 1st team not to lose a series in Australia since South Africa in 1994. Under Ganguly's leadership India looked a more dynamic force overseas than ever before revealing a newly kindled killer-instinct.India also won some great one day victories under Saurav in the Sahara Cup and in England in 2002.
14.Mike Brearley
Although oppostion was relatively weak still was a master in changing the fortunes of game.The 1991 Ashes is a perfect example of how leadership can be instrumental in ressurecting a team from the grave and create the equivalent of dramatic turnabout in a Hollywood movie .But for Brearley Botham would not have been able to produce his magical performances in 1981.I have never sen a great cricketer been ressurected as much as Botham under Brearley.
15.Misbah Ul Haq
Although leading in an era when the standard of test cricket has declined considerably his taking Pakistan to the top of the pedestal in test cricket was a remarkable achievement.Pakistan were dead and buried at various junctures but Misbah showed great mental resilience by literally pulling his side out of the woods.Few skippers have displayed more chracter in a crisis or to boost the morale of his team.In Sharjah Pakistan beat every team incluiding Australia and South Africa.Drawing 2-2- in England last summer Pakistan surpassed India and Australia.
16.Micheal Vaughan
For a time England were the best team in the world when beating Australia in a home Ashe sin 2005 and beating the West Indies on their soil by a 4-0 margin.Vaughan literally rekindled the spirit of English cricket with win sin various territories.Sadly he lost in Pakistan and faced a dramatic reversal in Australia in 206-07.
17.Andrew Strauss
In 2010-11 led England to win their 1st Ashes series down under for 24 years and become the world champion test team in 2011 after comprehenisvely beating India.
18.Nawab or Tiger Pataudi
Mere statistics do him injustice but no Indian skipper was tactically sounder or could turn the complexion of game with such masterly moves.Pataudi's leadership for a 2-0 series win against England in 1962 at home and bringing India from a 0-2 down position to square the series at 2-2 before the 5th test at Mumbai was a remarkable achievement.
19.Ajit Wadekar
Enabled India to burn the torch or shimmer the light of glory as never before or after with series win son Carribean and English soil.Started a golden era in Indian cricket.
20.Viv Richards
Inherited an empire but did his utmost to hold the fort.In 1988 the team he led was on par with Clive Lloyd's 1984 team.